News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-20
A SHEEP DROVER.
THE STORY OF A CALIFORNIAN :PI-
ONEER.
Driving sheep Across the Great Montana
Desert.

Driving sheep Across the Great Montana
7 Desert.
While exploring the town the other
day. | came across q sheep buyer. Ven
tura is a great county for sheep, and
this man was purchasing for export to
Montana. He entertained me for an
hour with his experiences in driving
sheep from Ventura to Montana, a dis
lance of 1,700 miles, over mountains.
prairies and deserts, and rivers and
streams, through heat and cold for seven
long months. But let the sheep driver
tell mis- own story and see if your read
ers do not think it wonderful. He said,
in a slow, drawing tone:
''All my life I've been dickering with
sheep. Nine times l have driven droves
to Montana. Well, yes, it is long
journey, but I'm accustomed to it, and
like the business. You see l amt fit
for anything else. Next March l shall
start with drove of 16, coo sheep for
| Montana. I'm collecting 'em now; as
soon as the rains set in they will become
fat and fit for travel. l pay So per
| head here and sell EN- for Sc in Monta-
ma. The increase is more than the loss,
though sometimes the coyotes and
mountain lions makes bad work for us.
But the dogs and drovers keep up a
good watch nights, and we amt an
noyed much. Sometimes lion will
ill fifty or hundred sheep just out of
mere wantonness, but that don't happen
very often. Our dogs and guns gener-
ally fetches him, and coyotes keeps at
distance and picks up the sick and dy-
| ing. Yes, l crosses mountains and
streams, but there is only one spot what
we breads, and that is the San Antonio
Desert or Valley of Death 1t is the
worst place L ever seed in all my life,
| but we has to cross it. 1t is 80 miles
| long and 40 wide, and lies on the
southeast part of California and south
western part of Nevada. Not a drop of
water on the whole stretch except some
what is pisen. Yes, sir, the man or an
imal what drinks that stuff is a gone
coon, and no mistake. 1t goes through
HIM like it ~ as quicksilver, and there is
no let up until death comes along in a
day or two. When we nears that place
| tell you, sir, we have work to do, men
and dogs, to keep the sheep and horses
from that pizen. H scents the stuff and
wants to get at it, and we has a circus
for while. Why, l can drive my
sheep across the Mojav desert, and the
animals will come off it fat and hearty,
and it is only palms, sand and sage
brush. Why, it is good land compared
to the San Antonio desert Hot2 Well,
well, l don't expect to see hotter
place, even when die has one man
and a dog for every thousand sheep,
and then | has four mule team to carry
the mems mess, blankets and mattresses,
water and grub, and the cook he drives
and goes ahead and stops at some good
place and makes tea and coffee and
cooks something for the men. We fill
up with grub at the towns and the water
barrels at the streams; if the water gives
out the -.burros or mules act rough
and the men 90 mad. Yes. every time
some of my shepherds gets luny and we
has to tie 'em to the wagon or they'd
wander off and be heard of no more
But if they swipe away at water on the
plains they is all right. But it is
mighty same like to drive sheep day
after day for seven months, on foot, and
all the way, too. We tried riding mules,
but the men couldn't stand the slow
pace, it was too poky. They had rather
walk and press the sheep on, slowly, |
slowly, slowly, all the time. No impa-
thence, mind you. No cussin' and yell |
lin except when it am needed. The |
Sleeps get to know the men and dogs |
and does as we wants 'em arter while. |
v e is a week in crossin' the San Anto-
MO desert. l alters takes Indian guides |
over that desert. | don't care to trust |
my own eyes and senses there. In an
hour all trails are gone. The ever
shifting send has wiped 'em out Ten |
thousand sheep will not even leave |
footprint We travels mostly by night, |
for the days are roasting, and no one |
but a salamander can live there and |
walk. But once across we is all right, |
and then we revels in fresh water and |
good feed in Nevada, Idaho and Wyom-
ing, for we passes through portion of |
each to get to Montana; it's 1,700 miles,
you know. Once | met young Beecher,
the son of Rev. Henry Ward, and he
had 20, 900 sheep he was to drive to
Utah. They was the property of Gen.
Beals, who once dabbled in sheep, on
his $50, 900 rancho, what is located list |
good rancho it is, but now it Is stocked |
with cattle. Well, this young Beecher
was headstrong cuss, and he allowed
he didn't want none of my advice. He
said where white man had been he
could go. l begged him to take Indian
guides over San Antonio Desert, because
it is just-well, it is bad. He wouldn't
take no Indians, and he didn't fill up
his tanks with water, but off he started.
l shouted out to him to keep sartain
he could see it - on his
right, but he laughed, and that was the
last / seed of him for a month. Then |
heard of him. He lost his way, his
water gin out, his shepherds got loony
and wandered off and was lost and was
never heard of again. His sheep drank
of the bitter waters and died, and out of
25, 90 only II, 900 was saved. Relief
parties was sent out as soon as the facts
was known, but some of the men was
never heard of again, as 1 said afore.
There was not much money in that
speculation, now, was there? and all
COS the leader was inexperienced, and
knowed too much for US plain, simple
Californians.
Here the steamers whistle sounded
shrilly to warn us that it was time to 90
on board, and as the captain and 1
moved off, the sheep drover called out:
"Now don't you forget that the San
Antonio Desert is"
did not hear the concluding part of
the speech.
Captain" I asked, as we walked
down the long pier, chow much of that
mans yarn is true2"
"Ioung man," said the captain stern
", ''there are no liar, In California.
Cast off that bow line. Back her gently.
Steady"